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It's seven o'clock in the morning and I'm supposed to be at the studio in two
hours. I should get up, but I can't, because I have a wonderful woman attached to my left side.
She's asleep, and peacefully
so. Half an hour ago, she rolled over and latched onto me, sliding her left arm across my stomach and snuggling into my shoulder.
It tickled a bit, but I didn't dare move. These moments with her, when she's asleep and I'm observing, are some of my favorites.
I should be getting a shower, warming up, calling Kevin and trying to secure things, but instead I'm staring at a good thing
and wanting to hold onto it.
I should really, really get out of bed.
She holds me tighter and dammit,
I've never been so sure of my feelings for someone in my whole life.
"Chris?"
She groans lightly and buries
her head in my neck, her mop of bone-straight brown hair spilling over her cheeks and my shoulders.
"Chris."
The
soft flutter of eyelashes against my ribcage informs me that she is, indeed, awake.
"Christy..."
She fakes a
snore for my benefit, and I can't help but chuckle.
"Seriously, Chris, I have to tell you something."
The mountain
of hair shifts until a single, lazy blue eye is peeking out from between the strands. "What?"
"I love you."
The
other eye opens, and I start to wonder if I've shocked her, because we haven't said that in awhile.
She sighs against
me and resumes her cat-like attachment. "I love you, too."
"No, you don't."
She opens an eye to glare at me.
"Alex..."
"What? I know you don't. It's okay, Chris. I just wanted to let you know how I feel."
"Congratulations.
The feeling is mutual."
"But, Chris, I don't want you to feel like..."
She cuts me off, which is probably a
good thing.
"Alex. I love you, too. Now, shut up and let me go back to sleep."
"Baby, you don't have to placate
me. I love you, and because I love you, I don't expect anything in return."
She starts to laugh. Low and gentle at
first, then long and loud.
"What?"
"You're funny."
"Funny-looking?" That's been the going joke lately.
I'm still not sure whether or not I should be insulted.
"No, just funny."
I smile. I can deal with funny.
"Why?"
"Because
I DO love you. Cheap imitations and all."
"I'm glad."
Pause.
"Hey, Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm
not going to run away or anything, but I really have to pee. If I get up, are you going to get mad?"
"Are you coming
back to bed?"
I should be getting a shower, warming up, calling Kevin and trying to secure things, but I take one look
at her expectant gaze and none of it matters anymore.
"Of course."
"Then no, I'm not going to get mad."
She
removes her limbs from mine, and I stretch a little.
"Hey, Chris?"
She groans. "Alex..."
"I love you."
She
smiles slowly, sleepily, with both eyes closed, and laughs to herself. "I love you, too."
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